Eddie Jones officially unveiled as Japan coach, denies interviewing before failed World Cup

Eddie Jones has been officially revealed as Japan’s new coach, but it’s hard to believe him when he says he didn’t try to be recruited before the World Cup. It’s all a bit rich, writes Jamie Pandaram.

TOKYO, JAPAN – DECEMBER 14: Japan national team new head coach Eddie Jones poses during a press conference at Japan Olympic Square on December 14, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)

Eddie Jones must have suggested Stevie Wonder as the next coach of Japan.

That is the only logical explanation for why, in his version of events, he was asked to suggest who the next Japanese coach should be way back in September, and was then announced as Japan’s head coach in December.

It’s all a bit rich.

The 63-year-old tried to hoodwink Wallabies fans, and now, no matter how he tries to spin it, he can’t be believed.

Jones, who told media in October that he hadn’t spoken to any recruitment firm, confirmed he had indeed, spoken to a recruitment firm.

But not to be recruited, obviously.

He reckons his only interview with the Japan Rugby Football Union was last week. Even though rival candidates Frans Ludeke and Tabai Matson were being interviewed months ago.

“I didn’t do an interview before the World Cup, I was asked by the recruitment agency to share my experiences with them,” Jones said in Tokyo on Thursday night.

“The first interview I had with Japan was in December. And that’s the only interview I’ve had.”

Jones has been officially unveiled as the new coach of Japan. (Photo by Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)

Asked why the September Zoom call was titled “First round interview with JRFU”, Jones replied: “I’m not sure what they need to believe, but all I can say is that, I go back to, the first interview I had with Japan was in December, and that was it.”

Then JRFU chairman Kensuke Iwabuchi interjected: “I just confirmed that yes, there was a conversation between recruiting company and Eddie Jones, because we actually wanted to ask him about the knowledge he actually had about Japan.

“So he was a source to search for the best possible candidate for us, that’s why they contacted him.

“We had a conversation with Eddie Jones to get the best possible candidate, to get the information.”

He’s given them some dud tips if he ends up with the job.

But Jones does “feel terrible” about how he dudded the Wallabies, with dubious selection calls leading them to their worst ever World Cup campaign.

“Apologise to Australian fans? Yep, I have everything I could for that short period of time and it wasn’t good enough,” Jones said.

“I had a plan of what we needed to do to change Australian rugby, and we weren’t able to do that, Rugby Australia weren’t able to support that. So I decided to move on.

“And I wish Australian rugby all the best.

“I feel terrible about the results with Australia, because I wanted to go back and change Australia. So I feel terrible, mate.

“But I don’t feel any guilt at all about this process.

“I haven’t had an interview until December.”

Most Aussies are calling Jones a traitor and a liar.

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I can’t control their opinion,” Jones said.

“The only thing I can control is what I did, and it sits well with me, I don’t have a problem with it.

“If people feel like that, that’s their judgement, I can’t control that.”

Jones apologised to Aussie fans. (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP)

And in the end, it came down to money.

Jones said his deal with former RA chairman Hamish McLennan was that he needed them to get private equity funding – which failed to materialise.

“I had a plan to take them to two World Cups, but there were things that needed to happen in Australia to change the system,” Jones said.

“I agreed with the chairman on the plan on what we were going to do. To do that, they needed finances to change the system.

“And after one year, there was a break in my contract with the Australian Rugby Union on whether they could fulfil those commitments or not.

“I felt, without them being able to fulfil those commitments, it would be hard for me to develop the talent in Australia to its fullest extent, and I decided then that I wanted to move on.”

So a fortnight before the World Cup began, Jones was worried enough about the state of Japanese rugby that he talked to a recruitment firm about who they should hire as their next head coach.

He then turned out to be that coach, but he did nothing wrong.

Sayonara.

Originally published as Eddie Jones officially unveiled as Japan coach, denies interviewing before failed World Cup